A mother and a son are facing misdemeanor charges after a call of shots fired Wednesday night in St. Joseph.

Griselle Torres-Perez, 48 is charged with a misdemeanor for tampering with physical evidence. Cristian Pizarro-Torres, 21 is charged with a misdemeanor for unlawful use of a firearm.

As we previously reported, officers with the St. Joseph Police Department responded to a call of shots fired at Cottonwood Creek Apartments off of Gene Field Rd. Wednesday night after witnesses reportedly observed a man hanging out of a vehicle firing a gun into the air.

According to court documents, a witness observed a group of four Puerto Rican men and one woman standings between two buildings drinking alcoholic beverages.  One of the men allegedly went into an apartment with the woman and came out carrying a large pistol and got into the passenger seat of the vehicle.

“The male was described as wearing a red shirt and black pants.  Another Puerto Rican male got into the driver’s seat and they drove off sprinning their tires with the passenger firing 4-5 shots out the window,” said Officer Steve McClintick with the St. Joseph Police Department. “While officers were still on scene the described suspect returned to the scene.  One witness still on scene positively identified Cristian Ivan Pizarro-Torres as the armed male that fired off all of the shots from the handgun in the parking lot.”

Court documents identified Griselle as Cristian’s mother.

“Officers arrested him and while in the process of this his mother began to interfere with the arrest,” McClintick said. “She was pulling on her sons clothing and trying to reach into his pockets while he was in handcuffs.  They were carrying on a conservation in Spanish as well and officers did not know what was being said.”

Griselle allegedly pushed the officers arm out of the way and pulled out a cell phone from her son’s pocket.

“Officers directed her to stop and turn over the phone as it was evidence and was to stay with the arrested person.  Griselle then extended her arm above her head and slammed the cell phone to the ground, smashing it.  The phone broke apart into three pieces and shattered the screen,” McClintick said.

McClintick said according to witnesses the family terrorizes the rest of the residents in the complex and they are afraid to report the incidents due to fear of retaliation and being shot.

Both were reported to have been born and raised in Puerto Rico and have only been in St. Joseph since Dec. of 2015.

Pizarro-Torres is being held without bail. Torres-Perez is being held on $10,000 cash only bail. Both are set for arraignments in Buchanan County Court Tuesday.